A woman says she was stunned when her friend was served alcohol by a 12-year-old but was even more "blown away" to discover the law allows it.
The woman, who Newshub has agreed not to name, said she and a friend were at a Rotorua bar on the night of December 10 where the boy was serving alcohol.
Newshub approached the business for comment. They weren't willing to speak but said it was a one-off occasion due to staffing shortages.
And it appears minors serving alcohol at licensed premises is within the law.
Under the 'undesignated' licence, which covers most restaurants and clubs, minors can sell or supply alcohol as long as they are employed at the business.
"It just blows me away. I think that is absolutely dreadful. Absolutely dreadful," the woman said.
She told Newshub kids "should be kids, they shouldn't be serving alcohol".
"I firmly believe it's wrong for children - and he is a child - to be serving alcohol," she added.
Alcohol Action spokesperson Professor Doug Sellman didn't know the law allowed minors to sell and supply alcohol and was "initially surprised" when Newshub informed him.
"However, I started thinking, well, New Zealand has an extremely laissez-faire approach to alcohol. You know, we have a normalised heavy drinking culture."
Prof Sellman said it's "extraordinary" that minors can be involved in the serving "of this drug".
He added the law "feels unregulated" but is "consistent" with Aotearoa's attitude towards alcohol. Prof Sellman and the woman want to see the law reviewed.
"I'd love to see an age limit for serving alcohol. It doesn't bother me kids working in the bar, but I think serving alcohol is dreadful," the woman told Newshub.
"There are other jobs that children can be involved in that can bring in pocket money, than being in the drug-dealing business," Prof Sellman said.
Hospitality New Zealand's national operations manager Jonathan Alve told Newshub "minors have been working in hospitality venues for as long as venues have been around".
"Hospitality is a great industry that teaches a huge range of skills from customer service and communication through to leadership, business management, cooking and much more."
Alve added the staffing shortage felt across the industry has brought many "capable and motivated" young people into the workforce.
"Minors working in hospitality learn and develop a large range of skills that can be applied across all industries and we think that the current legislation that allows for them to work in licensed venues is fit for purpose."
He said it is up to each employer to determine the roles of their employees based on experience, training and other factors.
"It is common however for hospitality operators to have family members working in their venues from time to time."
